Interview with Maria Dominguez Candidate for Metro Court

Maria Dominguez was the first and only candidate sent up by the first bipartisan committee to the governor. The Governor justly so feels that more then one candidate should be on a list for him to choose from when it comes to appointing a judge to one of our courts. With the current list I can see he will have a very difficult time deciding on just one candidate. We now have five candidates running for this metro court seat and the top three of which Maria Dominguez is one of are all very well qualified to give fair and even justice to the voting public. The other two top candidates also have interviews on this website and I invite the voters to read these interviews and choose the candidate you think will be the best judge. I personally feel that all three will end up as qualified judges on our metro court in the future. I have not met or spoken with the other two candidates so I can not at this time give any details about them.

The Interview:

Do you have a campaign website or some way for people to contact you if they are interested in volunteering for your campaign? mdominguez4metrocourt@yahoo.com or dominguezlawpc@msn.com

What is your favorite subject area and what was the last book you read? New Mexico History and the last book I read was Your Child’s Self-Esteem

Tell us about your family.
I am married to Bruce Fox and have a two year old son, Spencer Luke Fox. I also have a very close relationship with my parents and my elderly mom has been living with me off and on for the last two years so that she can be closer to medical specialists and facilities. I am the youngest of three children and have a large extended family.

Who is the better cook in your family and does your husband help out in the kitchen? My husband, my husband loves to cook and does most of the cooking and dish washing.

If we asked your husband what are your strong points and what are your weak points, what do you think his response would be? My husband tells me that I have an excellent understanding of people. Weak point…”you work too much.”

When and why did you decide to become a lawyer?
I have wanted to be an attorney every since I can remember and I became an attorney to help people.

Where did you get your education and why did you decide to work here in Albuquerque, New Mexico?

High School(s)

Penasco High School 1984-1986
New Mexico Military Institute 1986-1988 (High School Diploma)

College(s)

New Mexico Military Institute 1988
New Mexico Highlands University 1989-1992 (B.A. Political Science)

Law School(s)

University of New Mexico School of Law 1992-1995


What area of law did you specialize in? I run my own very busy law practice focusing on providing hearing officer services to the City of Albuquerque and the State of New Mexico Department of Environment. I also serve as counsel to the Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Control Board. I also represent clients in family law and criminal matters.

What is your career history?
Before going into private practice, I worked as an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Albuquerque with the Safe City Strike Force in identifying, prosecuting, and mediating with nuisance property owners; settling cases in Metropolitan Court Traffic Arraignment Program; seeking vehicle forfeiture in DWI cases and I also worked in the litigation Division defending the City in Civil Rights Litigation including Sec. 1983 actions and Employment Cases.

I also have worked with the New Mexico Public Defender Department in the Metropolitan Division as a trial attorney. After less than one year I moved to the Felony Division in Bernalillo County, where I had great success both at trial and, in particular in my, motion practice. My abilities, successes and my work ethic led to me being promoted, this time to a supervisory position in the then recently-created New Mexico Public Defender Department office in Farmington, New Mexico.

As a supervisor I was solely in charge of training and supervising four attorneys, all of whom had recently graduated from law school and had been assigned a misdemeanor caseload in the Farmington and the Aztec Magistrate Courts. In addition to my supervisory duties, I carried a full felony caseload ranging from first to fourth degree felonies. During my time in Farmington office, the New Mexico Public Defender Department honored me by naming me Attorney of The Year.

After two years in the Farmington office, I returned to the Albuquerque Public Defender Felony Division as a “floating trial attorney” meaning that I was not assigned to a specific judge, but instead was assigned to difficult cases and clients. After working for some time in the felony division I moved to the Public Defender Appellate Division, which required handling appeals from the Metropolitan Court along with overflow cases from the Public Defender Appellate Division in Santa Fe.

What made you decide to become a democrat?
I have always been a democrat and never anything else. My father has always been involved in and with the Democratic Party of New Mexico. I grew up working on campaigns and going to conventions. I consider my friends from the party my second family and am absolutely committed to equality in society.

Tell us the experience and qualities you think would make you a good judge.
The main qualities which make me well-suited for the position as a Metropolitan Court Judge are that I have extensive experience practicing law in Metropolitan Court and I recognize its importance to the community. I have a very even temper and treat all people with respect. My experience as an appellate public defender required me to handle a number of appeals from Metropolitan Court. The experience made me very familiar with the court rules, the appellate rules, the uniform jury instructions, case law, and the rules of evidence, which I think are important assets in being able to make fair and decisive rulings. My appellate practice also helped me fully understand the applicable laws and rules and procedures of Metropolitan Court. This experience further gave me knowledge as to which appellate issues would likely arise during court proceedings, which case law should apply to issues coming up in court, and which decisions from the bench would likely be upheld on appeal. This personal insight into the workings of the Court also gave me a valuable perspective which I look forward to using if I am given the opportunity to serve as a Metropolitan Court Judge.

What distinguishes you from your opponent(s) and why do you think you could do a better job? The obvious answer is that I am the only woman in this race. I am bi-ethnic and bi-cultural and fluent in both English and Spanish. My experience in Metro is extensive and relevant to this position which is criminal slot and not a civil slot. I am seasoned trial attorney and hearing officer. I have seen all sides of the courtroom and have first hand knowledge of the challenges facing all sides. In addition, what I have observed, I have the most energy and desire to work hard and get the job done.

What is the biggest problem facing the judicial system when it comes to woman’s issues and how would you resolve it if given the opportunity? I don’t think that there is just one major problem when it comes to dealing with woman’s issues. Obviously, I am a woman and, therefore, I have a better understanding of the issues facing women. Domestic Violence is definitely a problem and I believe that women need more support and understanding when it comes to being a witness in metro court. Often, the victim in a domestic violence case has changed her story by the time the trial comes around. I think it would be helpful if DV cases in metro court should be short-tracked and prosecuted within 60 days of the incident. I also feel that the current early intervention program dealing with domestic violence should be expanded to include repeat offenders.

In addition, the number of women being charged with prostitution is enormous. I have represented many woman charged with prostitution and most if not all have a substance abuse problem. Currently, there is no program in Metro Court specifically geared toward helping women charged with prostitution. I would like to look at other State’s models and figure out a way to help these women who are in a horrible situation and need treatment, health care, and education.

Do you feel that the general public understands how the court system here in Bernalillo County works or should more be done to educate them? I do think that most of the general public has a basic understanding of the court system but, there is always room for improvement. I think there should be more pro se support and more access to helpful forms.